Combinations of Blue
by Steele Stingray
Summary: TerraxAqua. Terra pushed away his friends to keep them from danger; but when he is stranded on an unknown world with Aqua, can he continue to hurt one of the only ones he loves? Rated M because they're teenagers alone on an island, so you gotta figure...
1. A World of Water And Things Besides

** Author's Note:** It's hard for me to play video games recently, as I'm busy with schooling and all that good stuff. However, I have been putting forth a conscious effort to finish Kingdom Hearts: BBS; and, may I just say that, Aqua is a beast. She's like the perfect mix of tough and sweet and feminine and smart; she's not just a damsel in distress, she's a badass Keyblade Master (the only one who passed the test) who can take care of herself _and _she's gorgeous. Terra would be stupid _not_ to be gunning for her! But enough of my ranting, here's the story in a world I made up.

**Combinations of Blue**

**Chapter 1: A World of Water (And Things Besides)**

Terra was unflappable in most, if not all circumstances, so when he awoke underwater able to breathe, his only reaction was to release a sigh of bubbles and get to his feet. He looked around, not from curiosity, but from experience: knowledge of ones' terrain was almost as important as actually knowing how to fight.

Although Terra usually selected earth tones, his secret passion was for blues.

He could stare at the sky for hours on end, watching it turn darker and darker blue until it was black. He loved fragile gray blue flowers, tiny cerulean birds, fish with sapphire scales…and the sea, the sea was his favorite. Blues in the ocean mixed with all sorts of gray and green, white and violet. His environment now was so vibrant that it almost hurt his eyes.

He stood on a bed of fine white sand, with teal, algae-covered rocks towering over him like buildings. Coral was everywhere, in all sizes, shapes, and colors, while aquatic plants moved sensuously, like green dancers. Fish and other oceanic creatures darted in and out of their crevasses, avoiding Terra as he walked through their habitat without a care.

When he looked up, he could see the surface of whatever ocean he was in moving softly, sending the light of the sun flashing in prisms across the ocean floor. Terra exhaled more bubbles and watched as they floated lazily to the surface.

There was nowhere to go but forward.

Terra watched every fish, every granule that crossed his path to make sure that it was not an Unversed. He was nothing if not cautious. His Keyblade was out, ready for any sort of attack…and though he doubted if this place had any doors to speak of, if there were any barring his path, his blade would make quick work of them as well.

Terra's footsteps raised a galaxy of sand with every step, but he walked with purpose. Something was tugging at his heart, pulling him forward. It had always been said that Keyblade masters were the most in tune with their hearts, and Terra followed his without question, even as he meandered along the bottom of the ocean. Something in his heart pulled him forward.

He wondered if Ventus or Aqua were in this world somewhere…

The thought excited him, but it also made him feel slightly nauseous. The last time he had seen Ventus, who was like a little brother to him, Ven had been shocked into sorrow when Terra told him to go back to the Land of Departure. He knew Ven only wanted to help, but Terra wanted him to be safe more than anything. He hadn't meant to sound so angry… He didn't want to put Ven in harms' way…He could never forgive himself, if Ventus was hurt…never…

The last time he had seen Aqua…well, he didn't like to dwell on it.

Aqua was the only girl Terra had ever gotten close to. He never talked to other girls, never looked at them, he practically didn't even notice their existence. But Aqua was gentle, patient, and honest, and she was strong. He knew he could depend on her for anything. But not this time.

He'd hurt Aqua on purpose. He'd winced at the genuine expression of pain and sorrow in her eyes as he pushed her away, hurt her on purpose, so she wouldn't follow him into this mission. He knew she was strong, but he didn't want Vanitas to target her again. She had to protect the worlds, be the hero of light, and not follow him around in the shadows. She was his world, and he loved her more than he loved himself.

Still, if his heart was telling him to find Aqua or Ven, he was in no position to disagree.

Despite his stoic manner, Terra walked with a heavy heart. He was lonely, and although he had driven his friends away, his want to protect them was the only thing that kept him going these days.

He was beginning to like how his sighs unleashed a torrent of bubbles. It was as though he could see himself getting lighter. Gripping the hilt of his Keyblade tighter, he increased his pace, floating a little in the water with each step. Perhaps it was his imagination, but with every stride, the sun seemed closer and closer to him…

….

Aqua sat up in relative darkness. And wet.

With a cry she tried to stumble to her feet, flailing about wildly with her hands. Complete darkness had always scared her and she didn't know where she was.

When she finally managed to get to her feet and obtain some semblance of balance, she called for her Keyblade with all her might, and felt relief flood her as it snapped dutifully into her hand. She curled her fist around the smooth hilt and begged the blade for some sort of light spell.

Aquamarine light glowed ethereally at the top of the Key, and Aqua was finally able to appreciate her surroundings without fear.

She was in a cavern, beautifully sculpted from ice. It was not cold inside, and the blue light reflected off of the mirrored sheets of glassy ice and the indigo crystals that shot out of cracks, abundant as grass. Puddles of warm water displayed glowing blue organisms, like crystallized moss and coral, and waterfalls dotted the cavern, shaping and molding the ice until it was smooth as silk.

Aqua smiled. There was such beauty in all the worlds, and she already loved it here.

"Hello!" Aqua called, spinning around to see if there was any form of life in the cavern. Instead a hundred Aquas seemed to call back as her voice echoed through the winding passages. With a shrug, she stared down at herself to see if anything had gone missing. "I guess I'm on my own here then…"

As always, she was curious about her environment, and although the ice cavern was beautiful, it was a little claustrophobic and she kind of wanted to see the sky.

"I wonder what this world is called…" She murmured to herself. Ven used to call her crazy when she would talk to herself, but it made her focused and kept her from going crazy. She and Ven thrived on contact with others and absolute silence (although tolerable for short periods of time,) was maddening in the long run. So if she had to use herself for conversation, just to maintain her sanity, then Aqua was fine with that.

Aqua was thorough. She examined every inch of the cavern until she discovered the only outlet. Without hesitation, she pitched herself down the icy tube, and it whirled her back and forth before spitting her out in a new cavern.

As she got to her feet and brushed off any stray ice shavings, Aqua had to admit that riding a slide made of ice was definitely one of the more enjoyable enterprises she had experienced on her journey.

"Ven would love that." She said to herself with a smile. "And Terra would…" A sharp ache caught her right in the chest and it was such that the feeling brought tears to her eyes.

She actually had no idea what Terra would do anymore. He was completely changed from the friend she once knew. Her Terra would never have pushed Ven, never have sent him home in misery. Her Terra wouldn't have betrayed her, pushed her away when she was only trying to help him.

But she could have imagined what the old Terra would have done. He would have watched Ven and Aqua go spiraling down the icy slides with an expression of apathy on his face. But his blue eyes would have been glowing with happiness at seeing his friends enjoy themselves. Finally, Aqua and Ventus would have pulled him in for at least one try, and although he would fight it every step of the way, he would have given in.

Aqua clutched her shoulders at the shiver that went through her body. It wasn't cold, but she was…still hurting.

Still, there was nowhere to go but forward, and Aqua toughened herself up before picking her way through the veritable labyrinth she had been confined to. Each new hall she entered was more beautiful than the last, but Aqua wanted to be outside. Heaven forbid if the world was entirely composed of this ice cave.

Finally, after much wandering and talking to herself, Aqua reached the mouth of the ice cavern and saw the sun, blinking like a warm beacon above her head. She gave a great sigh of relief before going out to explore her new environment.

Despite the massive ice cave (which now seemed to be out of place), the world appeared to be tropical, with trees stretching far over her head in a leafy green canopy, while the boughs and trunks of said trees were laden with tiny leaves, intricate flowers, and mushrooms, each colored vibrantly as jewels. Aqua smiled at everything that caught her eye, relieved to be out in the open air.

"I really like this place." Aqua murmured aloud, as a warm breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. It almost sounded like the forest was whispering, calling her name, welcoming her…

She let her Keyblade disappear and continued walking through the jungle.

It seemed to be her imagination, but after a very short time it seemed as though she could hear the sound of the tide over the sound of the rustling leaves. The Land of Departure was known for its' beautiful cliffs and brilliant architecture, however, Aqua always had a soft spot in her heart for the sea.

It was amazing how it could be all colors, how at once it could be sharp and soft, smooth and disturbed, violent and gentle. Aqua loved the sound of the sea. It could lull her into peace even if she was upset or scared.

"What kind of world have I entered?" She wondered aloud. "I haven't seen any Unversed either." She wasn't complaining. Unversed were not difficult to deal with, but god were they annoying in droves.

Seeing an end to the trees, she broke into a light run, excited to see what was beyond the jungle. With every step, the sound of the ocean got louder and louder, but still maintained its' rhythmic beat, slapping against the sand. Aqua rubbed the sweat from her cheeks and kept jogging, until she had pushed pass the final barrier of vines and was out in the glorious open.

The beach was amazing. It was devoid of anything but a few palm trees and a seemingly endless stretch of sand. Sand that was blue-violet in color.

Aqua scooped some up in amazement; it truly was indigo sand with swirls of white, soft and fine between her fingers. The blue beach met up with a teal ocean, so clear that Aqua could see the tropical plants lining the bottom. So this was paradise…

With a smile of contentment, Aqua walked to the surf and sat in the pillowy sand, watching her clothes fan out in the water like some exotic, aquatic creature. She wasn't worried about wet clothes; hers were magic, so they did not burn, or tear or get wet.

"Ven…Terra…I wish you could _see_ this place." She said thoughtfully.

Something dark moved in the water and Aqua leapt to her feet, ready for any sort of attack. She could not make out what the creature was, but was big and dark and it was moving towards her. Still, she didn't want to attack until she knew who or what it was. So she waited.

Aqua's heart pounded uncomfortably in her eardrums as the first thing to breach the water was that familiar crop of spiky brown hair. Terra took another step, and suddenly he was only submerged up to his ribcage. He looked as he always did: strong, stoic, self-assured, with a slight look of distrust. His blue-grey eyes flashed with conviction as he surveyed his new environment. Halfway through his next step, he noticed Aqua and shock replaced his trademark nonchalance.

She was not cold, but she shivered under his gaze. She was strong, but the pain was so fresh, and she feared her legs would give out.

Terra took the next step toward her, some deep and unexplainable expression rooted deep in his stormy eyes. "Aqua?" His deep, soothing voice hit her hard in the place where he had cracked her heart and the tremors of pain rippled through her body.

"Terra." She replied. Either fate was cruel to the both of them or it was trying to repair what Terra had broken. But in both scenarios, Aqua was hurting.

**Chapter 1: End.**


	2. Reinforced Steel Hearts

** Author's Note:** Birth By Sleep makes me want to cry. Seriously. I mean all Kingdom Hearts games are a tiny bit depressing (ie. Sora, Riku and Kairi being separated, Axel and Xion 'dying', Roxas and Namine being yanked back into Sora and Kairi). Sometimes I just walk away from those games with a heavy heart…and the intense desire to never end this story. Ever. So that way Terra and Aqua can stay together…Gah!

**Chapter 2: Reinforced Steel Hearts**

Terra tried not to look at Aqua…and failed miserably. Even the sound of her breathing was different, like each breath of air was soothing whatever worries were inside her. It might have sounded crazy, but it made sense to Terra.

When he had seen her standing on the beach (which was blue, unlike the white seabed), he thought it had been a hallucination.

But there she stood, looking at him from under her lashes, and pulling at her bell-sleeves, the way she did when she was nervous. She really was pretty, in her own way. She had large, but heavy-lidded eyes that were the purest blue around the center but somehow became violet around the edges. Her hair was a darker blue, like cobalt, and it framed her face nicely. Even in sadness or anger, there was always a kind tilt to her lips, like she was fighting back a smile. And though she was a Keyblade Master, she was so slender; Terra felt that every time he hugged her, he would snap her fragile back into pieces.

"Aqua…" Was all he could think to say to her.

"Terra." Her voice, much to his dismay was still fraught with pain. The smile she mustered for him was truly pitiful, as her blue eyes were raw with sorrow. "You're here too. It's…fate…"

Cruel was what it was. But Terra nodded. "Why this world?"

Aqua bit her bottom lip and pushed her shoes through the sand. "I honestly…don't know." Terra' heartbeat picked up. "I was on my Glider and the next thing I knew I woke up here." She pressed the summoner on her shoulder, but the Glider did not appear. "And something's wrong. I've never had it malfunction like this. My armor didn't even…"

Terra tried his experimentally and, with growing concern, found that his Glider and armor were also missing in action.

"What do you think it could be?" Aqua asked him. He felt devastated, that she wanted to escape so badly from this world…no, from him.

Terra shook his head and felt droplets of seawater hit his cheeks. "I…don't know. It could be that this world doesn't allow us to use them. But you shouldn't worry," That was his job. "If we find the Keyhole in this world we can unlock it and find our way out. Relax, Aqua." He patted her shoulder and it felt like she was laced with lightning. His fingers trembled as he drew them away.

Aqua gripped her sleeve and then looked up at him; the smile was more genuine this time. "How silly. Usually it's me cheering you up. You've grown strong Terra."

He had to disagree with her sentiment, but nodded in appreciation.

"Regardless, it seems we've fallen into this world for a reason. And if Ven's here too, we should find him as well." Terra said this with an impassive expression, but deep in his heart, he hoped that Ven was not in the world. "Have you seen any Unversed?"

"None." Aqua said. "But it would put me at ease if Ven was here. I can't tell if Vanitas was targeting him or me. I hope it's me. I don't know if Ven could defend himself…"

Terra felt his chest get cold, like it was freezing over. The thought of sinister Vanitas targeting either Aqua or Ven had him in the strangest emotional state of his life. He was gripped with cold fear that froze over his heart, but at the same time he felt scalding anger, bubbling like lava, up in his throat. If he ever saw Vanitas so much as _train_ his gold eyes on Aqua…

Terra clenched his fist, feeling his fingernails digging deep into his palm. "Don't worry." He growled. "I won't ever let him…"

Aqua put one of her cool hands over Terra's fist. "I know you won't. We're a team, Terra."

Terra felt awful. He hadn't put any of his trust in Aqua, but she still relied on him entirely. He knew her strength, but knowing that Vanitas had targeted her, she seemed all the more fragile.

"Let's go then." He said softly, unfolding his fingers so that Aqua could slide her hands between his. He squeezed it for comfort, like he had done when they were children and her felt her squeeze back.

Together, hand in hand, the two of the traipsed back up the dunes and back into the forest Aqua had just exited. It freaked Terra out a little. Everything was so quiet, so perfect, but the fact that it was perfect made it all the more terrifying. Never, in all the worlds, had he encountered a place so peaceful and he felt as though he and Aqua were being watched. He had been reluctant to let go of her cool hand, but they needed both hands to comb their way through the jungle.

"I wonder what this world is called…" Aqua said curiously. "Oh!" She pushed a leaf aside, and apparently it had been filled with water, as the crystal clear liquid poured down on top of her head. Terra hoped he didn't turn any embarrassing colors, as he watched her.

Her mouth was open in a tiny O of surprise, but her cheeks were flushed pink as a sunrise and her eyes sparkled with glee, drops of water clinging to her eyelashes. Still more water dripped down her nose, over and in her lips, down the soft curve of her neck, and down into the front of her corset. Terra tried to maintain his calm demeanor as he wiped the water from her face and neck.

"You ok?" He asked as she took care of droplets running down her chest.

Aqua nodded. "It's only water." She adjusted the top of her black corset and Terra tried to ignore the bounce of her breasts. He clearly remembered the spring she had sprouted them and the two of them had been both amazed and a little terrified at the change.

"Just…being careful." He murmured, before continuing on.

….

Aqua sat around the fire she had put together in the center of a massive bamboo forest, although they hardly needed it. The nighttime air in this world was only a little cooler than the temperature during the day. The fire was mostly for light, and Aqua gazed up at the blue-black sky and the fat, heavy moon.

Even though she was still upset at Terra for attempting to cut her out of his life, spending the day with him had been…well, it had been wonderful.

She missed his cool, honest demeanor, his strength and his overt cautiousness, the way he worried about her, the way he touched-

Aqua inhaled sharply and rolled over, curling up on herself; she had kept her feelings secret from him for so long and now was not the time to bring them up again. She was the pillar of emotional strength, the responsible one. She gripped her throbbing chest.

The bamboo sprouts shivered with motion, and Aqua sat up. Terra had gone off (at his own insistence) to find some of the tropical fruit they had seen throughout their journey. Aqua could not help but wish for a paopu fruit…

Terra pushed his way through the flexible stalks, looking haggard and rushed. He had been unwilling to leave her alone even to find food. His arms were laden with all sorts of plants and fruits and vegetables. He looked as though he had run back.

"I…don't know what's poisonous…" He said dumping them on the ground in front of the fire. "Are you cold?"

Aqua laughed as she sifted through the pile of exotic food. "Do you even feel the air out here? And I don't think any of this is poisonous…"

Terra bent down so that he could also help to look at his harvest. "I'll try them first, just to make sure." It seemed as though he was trying his best not to look at her, but she could not help but feel warmth rise in her chest.

As a Keyblade master, people assumed Aqua was the strongest, that she didn't need help from anyone, much less a man, so no one would treat her like anything less than a warrior…except Terra. And it felt really nice; even though she wanted to be accepted as a fighter, occasionally she also wanted people to treat her gently, like a lady. She made sure to purposefully run her fingers lightly over top of his knuckles by 'accident'. Terra's ears turned pink and he dropped what ever he had been holding a moment before.

Terra refused to look at her, some sort of emotional mix fighting for supremacy on his tan face. "I-I'm going to…look for water!"

Aqua did not even bother to mention that she knew Water magic, as Terra practically sprinted back into the bamboo grove. Aqua smiled and continued to sort through their food supply, separating them into color-coordinated piles.

Their journey so far had not gotten them any closer to the heart of the world and Terra seemed upset about the fact that they weren't any closer to finding it than they had been that morning. Aqua was trying to get him to lighten up and just enjoy their surroundings. Once the fruit had been sorted, Aqua lay back again and looked at the stars.

She knew each star constituted a world, so as she pointed to each one, she liked to imagine what world it could possibly be…

The one straight above her was the Land of the Departed…the one with the blue tint was Neverland…the one that twinkled was the Radiant Gardens…the star with the warm glow was Destiny Islands…

With each thought for a world, she became more and more nostalgic; she wondered if she and Terra and Ven would ever see those worlds together, side-by-side and whole. She looked back up at the stars with a heavier heart.

A noise from behind her caused Aqua to get to her knees.

"Terra?" she asked hopefully. He was back so soon?

When there was no reply, Aqua got to her feet and wandered to the edge of the clearing where the noise was coming from. As she got closer and closer, she became more suspicious. The noise was like a steady hum, but not soothing in the least…it sent shivers down her spine.

"Terra?" She asked again, concerned.

The emissions of the noise were not from Terra; as she called out her Keyblade, it illuminated the portal set amongst the bamboo trees. It was nothing like any other portal she had ever seen before. It pulsed like a heartbeat, crawled upwards in writhing tentacles of color, and alternated black, sickly violet, and the harshest blue she had ever seen. Aqua felt her skin crawl at the sight of it.

"Terra!" She called, desperate now. The disturbing portal was obviously a thing spawned from the darkness and if Terra was in danger…her heart caught in her throat as she reached for the gateway with trembling fingers. "Terra!"

Right before she could touch its' throbbing surface, two arms, snakelike wove around her body. They were cold as snakeskin as well, encased in armor that was skin-tight and striated with red along the lines of the muscles. The first wound up between her breasts before the hand gripped her throat; the other caught her wrist with such strength that it almost snapped. She was yanked backwards into a hard, unyielding chest and she found herself unable to move or breathe. The red lines, like muscles in the black armor of her captor made identifying him simple.

"Easy there." He whispered, his voice as slick and unpleasant as a spider. "Don't want to touch that. Don't know where you'll be sucked off to…"

Aqua tried to breathe but he squeezed her throat tighter. All she could manage as his black helmet slid into her view, dark and merciless as the tip of his sword, was, "_Vanitas!_"

**Chapter 2: End**


	3. Poison in Your Touch

**Author's Note: **In this chapter it will start off with Aqua's point of view since we left off with her on a cliffhanger. I also like to think that since Vanitas is all darkness, everything he touches kind of just…dies. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Poison in Your Touch**

Aqua clawed at her throat with her free hand, but it was no use. Vanitas abused the power of darkness and it gave him ridiculous power; she could feel the threads of dark probing her throat and chest and it made her skin crawl.

"_Vanitas!_" She choked out, half with anger, half with fear.

"Master Aqua." He murmured right next to her ear. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you without having you try to escape. If you would be so kind as to hold still for me." He whispered a powerful Binding spell and Aqua felt her muscles stiffen; only her mouth and eyes would work, although she strained hard against the spell. That was the only way to break Bind, other than having the caster repeal it. She doubted Vanitas would do so until he was good and ready.

Vanitas released her and flexed his fingers before removing his skull-like helmet. Aqua felt her breathing pick up as she saw his face. It was so similar to Ven's that it hurt her to think they were the same person; she wished for Terra to come back with all her heart. Vanitas smiled at her, his golden eyes flashing wickedly.

Faster than was humanly possible, he reached out and clamped his hand on her breast, right over her heart, squeezing it painfully. Aqua cried out and Vanitas smiled even wider.

"Slow down your breathing, Master Aqua. I'm not going to kill you tonight. I thought about eradicating Terra, but…" He was gauging her reaction, and although she tried to bite back her gasp of horror, she knew her eyes were terrified. Not Terra…she was working so hard to protect him.

"Don't. You…Hurt. Him." She ordered trying to sound angry. "You can…do what you want…with me but…don't touch Terra."

Vanitas eyes softened for a millisecond, but there was nothing kind there. The raw want that replaced his violent intent was more terrifying than anything she had ever seen before. The hand that had been clenching her breast with the intent to pull her heart out unclenched and began to trace the cup of her corset. Not a single motion was gentle. He traced the outline of her chest with sharp fingernails and swiped carelessly over the cup, right above the center of her left breast. The feeling was at once painful and she felt disgusted. But he would not control her. She shuddered but bit back her anger and fear. He wouldn't win.

Vanitas eyes flashed gold fire. "Don't make promises you don't intend to keep."

Aqua glared at him in response. "I'm stronger…than you. I'm willing…to do anything…for my friends…" She fought with all her strength just to raise her chin in defiance. "Do…your…worst."

Vanitas scowled and the Binding spell disappeared. Aqua shuddered and fell to her knees. The spell made her muscles and bones feel as though they were made from liquid and she still could not move fully. Vanitas loomed over her like a black shadow and there was nothing but hatred in his eyes.

"No." Aqua croaked as he reached for her again, but her plea fell on deaf ears and his hand once again closed around her throat, hefting her high into the air. She kicked pointlessly and clawed at his hands.

Vanitas snarled. "I told you I wouldn't kill you tonight, you blue-haired bitch, but let me tell you this. One day, I _will_ kill you. You and your Terra and your Ven. And I'll tell you how I'll do it." He smiled and black spots began to dot Aqua's vision from her lack of oxygen. "First, I'm going to hurt Terra so badly that he can't move; I'll leave him alive just enough so that he can watch while I do the same thing to Ven." His hands clenched tighter and Aqua gasped for air. "Then, when you, Master Aqua, come to save your friends, I'll kill you right in front of them; and you can watch, with the last breath in your miserable body, the look in your friends' eyes as they realize they're helpless to save the girl they love."

With one final squeeze, Vanitas dropped her to the ground. She didn't even have enough strength to break her fall. She could only curl up in a ball and gasp for air.

The feeling of so much oxygen and the rawness of her throat were so painful that it brought tears to her eyes. As she looked up, Vanitas had one foot in his dark portal.

"Keep this in mind as well. Don't think you're stuck in this world by accident. Everything that happens to you has a purpose." He smirked. "Especially the fact that you cannot call your glider or your armor. They've been locked."

"You…you…?" Was all she could gasp by way of a question.

Vanitas, bored, scratched his hair. "Maybe I locked them. But then again, maybe not. I don't find it fun to imprison people when I can just kill them. But you must have noticed a lack of Unversed in this world. Consider them my parting gift to you and Terra. They'll make you stronger so that killing you will be more of a challenge. It's no fun any other way."

"Why…did you…come?" She gasped as he put on his helmet.

Vanitas pulled out his Keyblade. "To warn you. Next time you meet me in this world, I won't treat you so gently." With a mocking bow, Vanitas slid into the portal and it disappeared after him.

Aqua attempted to assuage her aching lungs by inhaling as much as she could, but there was just too much hurting. Her throat burned from his constricting fingers, her muscles felt like jelly and protested sharply whenever she tried to move. She had a headache that brought tears to her eyes and her chest prickled with the feel of his touch, where his nails had dug into the soft skin there. She could feel the blood trickle down her ribcage.

She watched the fire dance, licking at the sky, giving her the light she desperately needed. Aqua was scared of the dark…but it seemed that the dark was coming after her.

….

Terra was in a hurry to get back to Aqua. He had left her with some excuse so he could untangle his snarled thoughts.

He had to push her away, was what he kept telling himself. Aqua was his weakness and if the enemy found out, they would use her, hurt her to make him comply. And he'd have no choice but to comply. Even now his fingers tingled from where she had accidentally touched him.

Terra pinched the bridge of his nose attempting to fight back any thoughts of her.

He was strong. He needed to isolate himself. He didn't need her. She was nothing to him. Nothing. Same with Ven. Ven was not a factor. Terra stood alone in his fight. He had no allies or friends.

Finally regaining his cool, Terra felt it was safe to head back to the bamboo grove and confront Aqua. He wouldn't speak to her unless it was necessary, he wouldn't look at her or touch her either from that point on…

…Of course that plan was blown all to hell when he pushed his way back into their camp and saw her gasping in pain on the ground.

Terra had never run so fast in all of his life. In three strides he was across the clearing, and he did not even bother to race around the fire, but leapt over it completely. Sparks singed the bottom parts of his hair, but he could give a damn. He skidded up next to her on his knees, earning him friction burns on his legs.

"Aqua? Aqua!" With shaking hands her grabbed her around her tiny waist and shifted her so that her head was resting the crook of his elbow and the rest of her was draped across him. He should never have left her alone. "Aqua!"

She heaved pained sighs and tears of pain trickled down her cheeks. But she managed a smile for him somehow. "You're…late."

Terra rested his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry I left you. What happened?"

Her breathing was becoming smoother, less pained, and she rubbed her throat. Terra gently brushed aside her fingers and his heart pounded angrily in his eardrums when he saw the red and purple bruises blossoming across her slender neck like some cruel snake. Resting his own fingers across the slender patterns, he could see where another had tried to squeeze the breath from her throat. Someone with hands about the same size as Ven's... Terra pulled Aqua to his chest to compensate for the acidic fury that was boiling up in his throat.

"Vanitas?"

"Vanitas." She said nodded. Her head was right above his heart and she could probably hear it beating angrily. "He came to warn me. He's going to try and kill us all…"

Terra held her even closer so that her head was right at his collarbone. Even though he swore to himself that he wouldn't let Vanitas hurt his friends, he was doing a pretty poor job of it so far. "Are you hurt?" Very lightly, he stroked the top of her blue head.

"Not so much anymore." Aqua said rubbing her new bruises. "Just a Binding spell made it hard to move. The only painful part was breathing after…oh!" She winced and touched the place under her left breast. When she pulled her fingers away, they were bloody.

Terra was horrified.

Aqua pulled back so she was kneeling in front of him and held her chest. "H-He was just…trying to scare me."

Terra could not describe his emotion at that point in one word. But all he knew was that if he ever saw Vanitas again, the boy would feel his dark wrath. Wordlessly, Terra pulled a potion out of his back pocket and uncorked it with his teeth. He was hopeless with curing magic anyway.

As he offered it to her, Aqua bit her lip. "C-Can you do it? I can't see the cuts without opening them further…"

Terra steeled himself and nodded, waiting for her. Very delicately, she slid the neck of her shirt over her head. Terra turned his head as she pulled the garment down further so that her breast and ribcage were exposed to him. When he turned back, the entire left side of her, from shoulder to ribs, was bare and white before him, save for the center of her breast which she had covered with her hand.

She stared at him levelly and Terra swallowed his inhibitions.

Looking down, she lifted up the flesh of her chest ever so slightly, showing Terra the five raw half-circles underneath the soft skin there. Tiny rivulets of dried blood ran down her torso.

"H-Hold still please." Terra murmured, the potion in his hand shaking.

Aqua only gave a little jolt as Terra touched the white skin under her chest. Very gently, he rubbed the potion on each of the little crescents, watching in relief as they faded back into the same creamy color as the rest of her skin. He had never felt anything so velvety smooth as the white skin under her breast. Even his softest patch of skin was rougher than any part of her body.

It took a sincere effort for him to pull his hands away.

"Thank you Terra." Aqua sighed, turning around so she could right her clothing. Terra, in the meantime, attempted to slow his heart rate, which was not racing so much from anger, but…from something he was trying to fight down. Something he had been fighting down for a long time.

Aqua's ears were pink as she turned back to face Terra. "I haven't slept outside in so long. Is it as uncomfortable as I remember?" The two of them had slept out under the stars on numerous occasions, even before they met Ven. But Terra sensed the underlying meaning of her words.

Terra stroked her cheek, down to her blossoming neck. "We'll eat. And you can sleep next to me. I'll stay up. And make sure he doesn't come back."

Aqua looked up at him and smiled. In that moment, Terra knew that his plan wouldn't work. That he couldn't ostracize or abandon her. That left him with one last option: he would protect her with every bone in his body.

That was what he chanted to himself that night, under the stars, as he held her tight.

**Chapter 3: End**


	4. My Wish is Your Safety

** Author's Note: **In stories, it seems that the guy saves the girl more often than the other way around…So I'm mixing it up a bit, cause Aqua's a badass and she could pull it off.

**Chapter 4: My Wish is Your Safety**

Terra woke with the sun and he was instantly on his guard. According to Aqua, Vanitas' presence had unleashed the Unversed on this previously peaceful world. He had stayed up most of the night to prevent any attack, holding Aqua's slender body close to his own. Even with the high neck of her shirt, he could still see the angry bruises Vanitas had bestowed on her. The monster… But even one as disciplined and determined as Terra could not avoid sleep forever, and he nodded off in the wee hours of the morning.

Luckily, both he and Aqua could get by on minimal amounts of sleep; not so for Ven who could sleep all day if they let him.

"Any sign of the Unversed?" Aqua asked, scratching her hair as she stood.

"None." Terra replied. "I'm amazed they weren't drawn to us, but we'd still better be on our guard." He slung his Keyblade over his shoulder as he spoke.

"I wonder what we'll see today?" Aqua wondered aloud. Looking around, Terra noticed that the bamboo grove seemed to have changed a little: heavy pink and red blossoms had sprung up around the clearing, while vines had wound around some of the stalks. Aqua noticed as well. "It's amazing how much this place changes over night…"

"I don't like it…" Terra said suspiciously.

Aqua grinned.

The world had changed. Instead of a dense, lush jungle, the forest had transformed into some sort of deciduous paradise. The tree trunks were enormous, with mushrooms Terra could have slept on, and their leafy boughs stretched even higher to the sky. The roots were also enormous providing natural steps and the flowers were the size of plates in every size and intricate shape. Somehow, everything was less tangled and compressed than it had been the previous day. Terra was insanely freaked out.

Aqua loved it though.

"Do you think it's normal for places to change this much?" Terra asked, leaping over a patch of flowers that emitted some kind of purple spores. If they were poisonous…

"Change is good." Aqua replied, stepping delicately between the blooms.

When the sun was high in the piercing blue sky, Terra and Aqua saw an end to their forest. Terra was ever on edge, and since he was constantly on alert, he saw as the forest changed around them as they walked. If Aqua noticed, she seemed not to care.

"Aqua, why is this world changing?" He asked. He had no idea and wondered if she had any thoughts.

Aqua's blue eyes were thoughtful. "I was thinking about that and what Vanitas said to me," at the mention of Vanitas she touched her throat and Terra felt the anger rise up in him, "about how everything happens to us for a reason. I was thinking that maybe this world was created by our hearts… When I woke up, I was in a maze of ice; I felt comfortable, as I'm comfortable with my heart, but…there was this feeling that I needed to keep moving forward and get out. And when I figured out what was freezing my heart, I got out. Maybe this jungle is also like our hearts…it's becoming more focused, clearer."

It made so much sense, that Terra gave it another thought.

When he woke up, he had been under the ocean, alone, in an environment foreign to him. He was being crushed under the pressure, just like his heart had been. He was lonely without his friends, without knowing where he was or where he was going. Maybe his love for blue was why this world was so full of it.

"Maybe that's why we haven't seen any Unversed." Terra said. "Not unless we give into the darkness."

Aqua stepped outside the border of trees. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

He must have believed the theory, because their next environment was a plain of bluebells, some indigo, others icy blue. Set like an eye in the center of the field was a crystal clear lake that reflected the sky. It smelled wonderful, like flowers and rain and fresh soil.

"I wonder," Aqua said, grinning as she waded through the flowers, "if the heart of this world is where our hearts are clearest."

Terra wondered what kind of place it would be, because he was not sure about anything. His heart was cloudy, at best. He didn't know what he believed in or what he was sure of… When he looked up, he was not unsurprised to see dark clouds in the sky.

Aqua noticed as well, and Terra felt her hand on his. As soon as he saw the kindness in her endless blue eyes, he knew the clouds had cleared. Maybe he was clear on something…without a doubt, Aqua would be there, leading him when he was lost, beside him when he wanted a friend, behind him to catch him if he fell.

"Aqua…" He turned to her, but she was staring straight ahead with excitement on her face.

"Ven!" She cried out, dropping Terra's hand, and he instantly felt cooling in his chest. Still, he could not ignore his other friend. Sure enough, Ven stood by the banks of the lake, waving excitedly to Aqua and Terra. "Come on Terra!"

He followed less excitedly than Aqua, who practically sprinted to the banks of lake. It was only when Aqua was almost in front of Ventus that Terra noticed something was off about their friend. When Ven looked up at Aqua, his blue eyes were only half blue. The other half was gold.

Terra yelped in horror and anger, "AQUA!"

Aqua noticed the panic in Terra's voice, and stopped, turning back to see what he was so scared about. That was why she didn't notice as the guise of Ven slipped away in tendrils of black and red…revealing Vanitas' smirking form. The keyblade in his hand thrust towards Aqua's unprotected back and his smile widened in challenge.

Terra didn't pause to think, he moved. He didn't know how he moved so fast, but he threw his body in front Aqua's just in time to keep the tip of Vanitas' keyblade from piercing her heart.

He felt the blade slice through his own heart and there was the click of a lock.

Even as he fell, as he heard Aqua cry out, as he saw Vanitas' cruel eyes and the sky darkening behind him, Terra was the most at peace he had been in a while. He had kept Aqua from accepting the same fate. A fair trade…

….

Aqua screamed as the dark and light exploded from Terra's chest. The look on Vanitas' face was too much for her to bear, and her scream of anguish turned to anger. She felt the hilt of her keyblade in her hand, and she sliced it upward, catching Vanitas across the chest and face.

With a shriek, he stumbled backward almost into the lake, dropping his blade.

"Bitch!" He hissed as the wound bled black smoke.

Aqua cradled Terra's head in her hands. His eyes were closed in what looked to be peace, but she knew better… Her will to protect him, even in his catatonic state, burned brighter than her sorrow, fear, and anger. "You monster!" She hissed, pressing Terra's head against her heart. "What happened to your perfect plan?"

Vanitas scowled at her. "I realized something. Since this world is spawned from your heart and Terra's, it would be impossible for you to leave without him and vice versa. I wanted to use one of you as bait to get Ven here, and to trap you here, one of you had to die. I wanted to see his look of pain when I took you, but either one of you will do. It just looks like Terra made the choice for me."

Aqua felt pain well up in her throat and she buried her face in Terra's hair. He wasn't breathing.

Vanitas opened his black portal, still clutching his wound. "Wait for me, Master Aqua. It's not like you can go anywhere anyway." With one final cruel smile Vanitas dove into his portal.

Aqua breathed hard a few moments after the portal vanished before she cried out from the very depths of her heart. It was too painful even for tears to come; all she could do was rock Terra and plead for him to open his eyes.

When she finally accepted the fact that Terra's heart was gone, Aqua looked up at the sky, steeling herself. If this was her world, then she was determined to find his heart in this place. Softly, she took each of Terra's cheeks in her hands, lifting his head so it was up close to hers.

"Terra," she whispered, a single tear falling from her eyes, "wait for me. I swear I'll find your heart." With a deep breath, she swallowed her sorrow.

Aqua had no choice but to swing a lifeless Terra onto her shoulders; she couldn't just leave him alone. He weighed about twice what she did, but Aqua made up for her lacking strength in pure determination. She wouldn't let him die on her.

The world around her was changing again, and not in a good way. Everything was wavering between the darkness and the light: the sky swirled blue and black, the ground shuddered under her feet, the plants grew twisted and black as new green shoots fought to grow over them, the serene lake had dried up, leaving a parched and empty bottom. It was chaos and Aqua would have been terrified, if she hadn't been so focused. Saving Terra was her only goal at this point.

Deep in her heart, she felt a pull toward the only place she and Terra had not explored: the center of this world, the Keyhole. She knew that it would remain unchanged as long as she was alive. She ignored everything except her goal, she looked at nothing, but followed the instruction of her heart.

As she picked up her pace, Unversed began to bubble and form out of the cracks in the earth. They looked at Terra stealthily with their black and red eyes and Aqua felt Fire magic rushing to her hands in fury. She held the flame aloft to warn the Unversed.

"If you want him, just try and take him from me!" She shouted at them, her voice trembling with rage.

The second the first Unversed leapt at her, Aqua spit all her animosity outward in an inferno that blazed through the Unversed and caught the dry grasses and wilting flowers up in a blaze. Aqua panted hard as the once perfect world seemed to go up in flames around her, but she pressed onwards, ignoring the smell of scorched earth and the pain of her heart building up in danger levels.

Terra's limbs hung like deadweight and the further she trekked, the colder he became. As Aqua fought back tears, the sky clouded up above her, threatening rain.

"Please!" She called up to the sky. "Please don't rain on me!"

More Unversed were pouring out of the destroyed earth and Aqua's limbs felt like they were on fire. She set Terra down on the ground, making sure that she didn't hurt him, before she turned to face the swarm of Unversed that was following her. Never had she pulled out her Keyblade with such vigor.

Sweat was running down her face, soot and dirt singed her cheeks, and her muscles and heart felt like they were pulling apart. But with a sidelong glance at Terra…she felt her eyes narrow with anger.

Aqua called up every spell she knew: wind, fire, blizzard, lightning, _everything_, and when the Unversed raced for Terra…Aqua threw herself into the air, thrusting all her limbs back so the magical power could be released. In that moment, all hell broke loose. Raging fires tore up the landscape, lightning streaked the sky, Unversed were thrown into the air and ripped apart by wind and gravity.

Aqua cried out as she hit the ground, with no strength to break her fall.

Using every last ounce of energy available, she summoned a Cure, giving her just enough strength to pull herself over to Terra's lifeless form. Breathing heavily, she rested her head right where his heart should have been.

"Don't worry…" She half sobbed, although the tears wouldn't come. "I'll save you…just as soon as I…catch my breath…"

**Chapter 4: End**


	5. Hearts That Ache, Burn, and Love

** Author's Note: **We're in the home stretch, ladies and gentlemen (do any guys read this anyway?). If you spot my cheesy shout-out to the song in the Kingdom Hearts commercial, yes, I did that on purpose and you get a pat on the back as a reward. Enjoy!

**Chapter 5: Hearts That Ache, Burn and Love**

Aqua did not know how long she lay on the destroyed earth, gathering her strength, but the moment she felt well enough to stand, she raised herself up with shaking legs. Ignoring her screaming muscles, she slid her hands under Terra's arms and swung him up over her shoulders.

Aqua bit back the pain as Terra's full weight hit her back, but she struggled on, staggering forward one step at a time. To ease her suffering, even a little, Aqua began to talk to Terra.

"Terra," She gasped, grasping his legs tighter. "I know you can probably hear me if your heart is lost in this world. I should have been the one to take Vanitas' blade...Even if you don't think so, you're so much stronger than I am. I bet you could have saved me by now." Aqua was relieved to note that the further she followed her heart, the less Unversed seemed to appear; none had accosted her yet. "You know Terra, when you said that I was nothing to you, that we were never friends and that you never wanted to see me again, I...I was crushed. I value your opinion of me more than anyone else's, even the master's. It was never my intention to surpass you; I wanted...I wanted to view the worlds beside you, with you, as your equal as..." Her throat choked and burned with emotion, "...as friends." Aqua had to gulp down air to calm herself.

"But I realized today that everything you said was a lie. If you truly didn't want me, you wouldn't have thrown yourself on a sword for me. So I know now you were pushing me away to protect me. I apologize for doubting our friendship for one moment; I apologize for believing you. I know now..." She leaned her head back so it was touching his. "Forgive me..."

Appearing like a mirage in the distance, Aqua saw the copse of trees bloom bright, aquatic blue. Luminescent fireflies rose from the treetops, blinking at Aqua like a beacon. You're almost there. Persevere. You're so close.

When Aqua made it inside the lush forest, so out of place in the plain she had just destroyed, she wanted to collapse in sheer joy. Everything was peaceful again and Aqua knew she was getting closer to the heart of the world.

Reinvigorated by this victory, Aqua hoisted Terra up higher and began weaving through the forest. She took no note of its' simplistic beauty, or how her hard footsteps barely made a sound; Aqua was focused only on restoring Terra.

She half-jogged, following the tug in her chest, until she felt like she was going to die. But Aqua was a Keyblade Master. So even when her breathing turned near into screams of exertion, she kept going. Light was ahead. Aqua made the final push, breaking through the last line of trees before falling to the ground in pain, Terra sprawling out beside her. It was painful even to breathe.

The heart of the world was serene: it was almost a perfect circle of a clearing, surrounded by trees and an outcropping of rock. In the center was a crystal clear pool fed by the thin waterfall that spilled over the rocks. It was warm there, undamaged and beautiful, smelling of fresh air and lilies.

With what little she had left in her burning muscles and jellied bones, she grabbed Terra by the shirt collar and began tugging him, inch by inch toward the water. With each pull, she sobbed in pain before gritting her teeth and giving another yank. When she and Terra plunged into the cool water, Aqua sighed in relief.

She pulled the lifeless Terra to her chest and waited.

A breeze rustled through the branches of the trees and Aqua felt her heart pounding. She had reached the heart of the world but...what now? Since it was a world created by both of their hearts, she doubted she could find the keyhole without Terra. Meaning that she was still stuck.

Tears, tears she had been fighting for hours, finally won out. Aqua crumpled burying her face against Terra's shoulder as she cried. She gripped his shirt crying at her feeling of helplessness: she was trapped here, waiting for her doom, unable to save Terra.

Aqua pressed her forehead to Terra's and let her teardrops fall on his eyelids and eyelashes. He looked so peaceful. "Wake up..." Aqua whispered to him, stroking his cheeks. "Wake up Terra...Please. Open your eyes."

She missed his eyes, those stormy blue-gray irises that pierced whatever they looked at. Aqua felt her heart ache as his eyes remained closed behind those dark brown lashes of his. He really was so handsome, with his set mouth and chiseled jaw; she remembered the way his brow was always furrowed, except when he was asleep, and how it never bothered him when his brown hair was swept all in his face. She remembered the comfort of his large hands, the steady thrum of his heartbeat, his rare smiles, like rays of the sun, and his deep resonating voice.

The realization that she had lost all of those things forever was too much for Aqua to bear. She embraced him as hard as she could, pressing her face into his collar. The pain was so much that her vision was blurred.

"Terra!" She cried. "You...you can't leave! We're going to leave! We're going to go and find Ven and go home! You can't leave! I still have so much that I want to tell you!" Though the sky above the clearing was cloudless, it began to rain, big diamond-like drops of water. But even the gentle sound and feeling of the rain could not curb Aqua's sorrow. "No! No...Don't leave me. I...I love you..."

She finally admitted to what had always been in her heart. Forever, it seemed, she had kept that secret, telling no one. She had even tried to deceive herself, but it hadn't worked in the end. Everything in her heart was clear now: she loved Terra...and now her heart was breaking.

Amidst her tears, Aqua noticed that the pool had begun to bubble violently, as if the water was boiling and the wind in the clearing kicked up, scattering fireflies and pollen and leaves. With a choking cry, Aqua held Terra closer, praying that this world wouldn't attempt to rip him away from her. The smooth gray stones on the bottom of the pool began to glow white...in the shape of a Keyhole. The light shot straight up, blasting droplets of water into the air. Aqua kept her grip on Terra, but was so shocked that the tears stopped in mid-flow.

As the light from the Keyhole came back down into the pool, it was the rain that became droplets of yellow and white and blue light, shimmering like crystals as they hit the ground.

"My heart is...untangled." Aqua whispered in realization. By admitting her love for Terra it had become simple and clean. Shifting Terra over to one arm, she summoned her Keyblade with the other.

"I am a Keyblade Master!" She called desperately. "I have found the heart of this world and I have done so by making my heart pure and clean! I beg of you! Return my friend's heart to me! Please! Give me Terra's heart!"

Light exploded, so much so that Aqua couldn't see. But she refused to let Terra go, even letting go of her blade to get a better grasp on him. When the light had culminated to a small orb in the sky, only then did Aqua relax her hold on him. The tiny light spiraled down, down into Terra's chest, right where his heart would be.

Aqua hastily cleared the blue bangs from her eyes and looked down at Terra…waiting…

Terra gave a sharp inhalation and his brown eyelashes fluttered.

Aqua could have drowned in his pacific blue eyes. "Terra…?"

"Aqua…" Terra replied sounding groggy. "You've…been crying…"

She smiled and cried simultaneously as Terra got to his feet. "I'm just…so glad you're ok!" She was quick in the water, leaping through the pool and into Terra's surprised embrace. Much to her relief, he held her closer, patting her back in comfort.

"You saved me." He whispered in reassurance, right next to her ear.

"And," She looked up at him and he cleared the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I found the heart of the world. We're standing in it."

"Did Vanitas hurt you? Did he-?"

Aqua stopped him mid-sentence. "I have…I have something to tell you. I've been meaning to tell you for a long time now. I want you to know before we have leave this world."

Before she could finish, Terra burst out. "I love you, Aqua! I wanted you to know before we saw Ven but…things happened."

Aqua felt as though the breath had been sucked from her lungs before she blushed fiery red. "I-I was just about to…" She stopped as both she and Terra jolted before meeting halfway, she pulling his head down to hers, he yanking her hips to his. Terra's lips were surprisingly soft and warm as they melded to Aqua's and she threw her arms around his neck.

**Chapter 5: End**


	6. When Blue Meets Brown

**Author's Note: **…And now it's time for me to do what I do best (well, one thing anyway,): write love scenes! I tell you, it never gets old, especially with all the interesting characters out there, and I feel like Aqua and Terra deserve something for all their troubles. And such a sexy title huh? I made it a little funny because the first time doesn't always work out in a romantic way. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: When Blue Meets Brown (or the Creation of Mud)**

Terra was warm. As his arms wound around her back, Aqua felt incredibly safe and secure as the hard muscle of his biceps flexed against her skin. Terra was powerful enough to sunder the earth beneath his feet, but when Aqua was up against him, all his strength was put towards shielding her from the outside world. As his silky lips molded against hers with all the gentleness of a warm summer rain, Aqua wrapped her arms around his hard stomach, reveling in the sheer power stored there.

As she opened her mouth slightly, Terra licked the perimeter of her lips, before gently, very gently, worming his way into her mouth. His arms pulled her closer, making it harder for her to breathe, but somehow that made the act of kissing all the more wonderful.

Aqua had heard that kissing with the tongue was hot, fast, and passionate, but it was not so with Terra. He was unerringly sweet and deliberate, running his tongue along her gums and sensuously weaving into her tongue. He never tried to make her submit or fight, but acted like he wanted to twine together with her, weave around her, meld into her seamlessly. When they pulled away, Aqua and Terra were both pink at his audacity.

With the very slightest of smiles, Terra leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and just reveling in the fact that the goddess in front of him loved him. Even her scent made him warm: the smell of rain and roses and sugar… Her blue bangs tickled his lips and he began to kiss her forehead, feeling the heat of her skin.

Aqua, in the meantime, was tracing the hard lines of his upper body: the stretch of his arms and chest and stomach against his skin-tight shirt was absolutely impossible to ignore. She felt him shudder under her touch and she began to employ other uses. She massaged the bulge of his muscles, scratched gently along the lines of his body, tickled gently in the places she knew he was ticklish. Terra shuddered even more.

Swiftly, Terra swept Aqua up into the air so that her chest was at eye level for him and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Unlike Vanitas, where the sheer thought of him touching her made her feel nauseous, her skin screamed for Terra's touch. Every hair on her sternum was raised toward him as he looked up at her for permission to continue.

Aqua pulled herself up to him, winding her hands through his brown hair. His nose was resting against her chest, his lips set squarely in her cleavage. With one thumb he released the heart clip in the center of her shirt and the pink straps that wound around her back fell serenely to the bottom of the pool. He slid his fingernails under the neck of her shirt and she ducked her head to allow him to slide it off, revealing her creamy, pale skin, down to the cups that guarded her breasts.

Terra stroked the smooth expanse with his rough thumb before planting his lips firmly on her bare skin. Aqua gave a sharp cry, which turned into a wail as his lips parted and his large, wet tongue pressed into the soft flesh there. His teeth ran along the edges of the corset and he looked up at her with those dark blue eyes, his mouth half-open.

Aqua felt herself flush under his gaze and as she moved to pull the cups down. But Terra grabbed her fingers and kissed each of them before taking the garment himself, sliding the corset to her hips, leaving her naked from the belly button up. Aqua bit her bottom lip, as Terra's probing eyes moved from her face to her body.

His hands started on her hips, sliding up slowly, enjoying the feel of her skin, as his thumbs massaged the muscles of her abdomen. He squeezed his strong fingers around her ribs, exciting a gasp from her that made him smile…and finally, he laid his hands right on her chest, one huge, warm hand covering each breast and grasping softly. Goosebumps rose on every centimeter of Aqua's pale skin and her lips trembled to release a cry that was building up inside of her.

Terra rubbed along the peach-soft skin on the underlying curves, he stroked the icy-smooth parts around the nipple, and the nipple itself as it went from a flat velvet expanse to small, pink and hard. The warm smell coming from her skin was so undeniably sweet, that Terra opened his mouth deliberately, sticking out his tongue, and took her entire left breast into his mouth, feeling her heart flutter like a hummingbirds' wings through the cushy breast. His tongue wrapped firmly around the center and twisted around it in a circle; Aqua moaned like she was about to cry and yanked at his hair, attempting to find something solid to grab onto.

With some concern (but more pleasure), Terra noted that he rather enjoyed the feeling of desire and pain; had he always been so masochistic?

As he licked, he also began to multitask. His cheeks began to suck, softly at first, but then with added vigor, as if he was trying to coax something out of the raw nipple. Employing the use of his hands, he pushed her thin back closer to his mouth with his right hand, while his left hand mercilessly rubbed her other breast, until Aqua was clawing long scratches in his back and pulling his hair like she had the intention to yank it all out.

When Aqua finally collapsed from exertion against Terra's body, her body heaving with labored breath, did Terra bother to relieve himself of his cumbersome shirt and straps, leaving his torso bare. He did so while cradling Aqua with one arm. When he finished stripping off his upper clothing, Terra swung Aqua up so that he was carrying her like a princess.

He ran one hand down her ivory stomach, over her tight black shorts, and then down her legs, sliding her black socks down slowly, like they were the sexiest garters sold. Aqua just leaned her head back and tried to get enough air.

Terra, although he thoroughly enjoyed Aqua's soft breasts, was most definitely a legs and butt kind of guy. Aqua had long, lovely white legs that were at once strong and slender with all the smoothness of polished marble. Swiftly, Terra untied the white and indigo sashes, letting them fall to the surface of the pool. Her shorts were her last line of defense…

Aqua dug her nails into Terra's shoulder, exciting him even further when she drew blood. Slowly, very slowly, he pulled the waist of her shorts over the curve of her feminine hips and down the sweet flare of her legs until she was white and naked in his arms.

The hair between her legs was slightly paler than the hair on her head, a sky blue in comparison, and Terra could honestly say that this was the only part of her body he had never seen. He gave the blue hairs just a tiny yank and Aqua shrieked, her breasts bouncing.

"What…in all hells?" She asked, but her cheeks were a lovely flaming red.

Terra outright smiled at her, a rare thing. "Just enjoying the view, Aqua." He kissed the palm of her hand. "Aqua." He kissed the place between her collarbones and the place between her breasts. "Aqua." He kissed her belly button and he felt her hold her breath. "_My_ Aqua."

In one swift motion, Terra flicked the heart pin at his trousers and felt them go slack to his ankles. He was just as free as she was. And, god, he was burning up. He felt as though his dick could have spit fire at that point.

Aqua studied him as well (from her rather inopportune position) and she liked what she saw. Every inch of Terra was rock-hard. Every inch.

With every breath he took, solid muscle quivered under his tan skin. His pecs rose and fell with every breath, his abdomen was hot enough to melt butter, and a fine layer of curly brown hair trailed down from his belly button and wrapped around…Aqua had seen him completely naked before but, she had forgotten how big he was.

Her entire body thrashed unconsciously as Terra's curiosity won out and he grabbed her crotch purposefully. A cry, unlike any sound she had ever made before, escaped her lips and Terra looked at her in clear panic.

"Did it hurt?"

Aqua was nothing, if not honest. "Quite the opposite…I feel…"

Terra needed no further affirmation and dove right back in, feeling every inch of her, just out of curiosity. When he realized that only Aqua was enjoying herself in the little venture of his, he withdrew his hand and helped Aqua to sit up, a new passion burning beneath the blue curls.

With little to no warning, Terra pushed himself into her and she responded by nearly breaking his collarbone. Both of them were momentarily crippled by pain; but Terra, in his defense, did not drop Aqua, and Aqua, in her defense, did not pull him out of her. Aqua knew she would be sore tomorrow, but she could not begrudge Terra his hastiness.

"You think…you could have given me…a heads' up?" She gasped, glaring at him playfully.

Terra however, looked cowed, blushing uncharacteristically. "I-I didn't know I was supposed to…"

Aqua kissed his flaming cheeks and his bruising collarbone, and ignored the slight sting inside of her as she moved up against him. She heard him gulp and felt his body stiffen around her and inside of her. "Mmmm…doesn't hurt. It feels good now." Twining her legs even tighter around him, she pushed forward again and the look on Terra's face was so helplessly sexy, that she was willing to forget his awkward entry.

Their blue eyes met, and Terra held her aloft with one arm, as the other pulled her head softly to his, tongues meeting up again.

Terra was obviously new to this whole thing, and Aqua was glad that she wasn't the only one who was inexperienced. His strength was unbelievable and he didn't quite know it, so when he started pushing into her a little too hard and fast, Aqua cried for him to stop. Which he did instantly, despite the burning desire to continue. Instead, he took a few steps back into the water to soothe her ache and, hopefully, douse a little of his fire.

When Aqua felt as though she could continue, Terra made every effort to swivel his hips into her slowly, trying to ignore his body's plea for more movement. There wasn't much room to move, regardless. Both of them were virgins at this, and so Aqua was barely wide enough to fit anything larger than a pencil.

Still he was willing to wait for her to get used to him, pushing slowly and focusing on the short, breathy gasps she gave. He buried his lips in the arch of her neck, watching as her wet, blue hair stuck to the sweat on her nape.

After he got used to the rhythm of Aqua's hips, Terra, much to his body's delight, began to realize that Aqua's insides were becoming hotter and wetter by the second, squeezing Terra so tightly that even he could not keep from crying out. It was as though his head, his body, and his voice suddenly all had minds of their own and were working on different wavelengths.

"Terra!" Aqua cried. "L-Let's lie down! You don't have to c-carry me!"

Terra ignored her. She wasn't heavy and he was strong. He _wanted_ to carry her and feel her body in his arms. He wanted to protect her from everything in the universe that planned to hurt her. As a response, her held her closer, kissing her shoulders.

Aqua's legs began to quiver around him, the muscles in all her body shaking, and Terra yanked her up to him, so every last inch of her creamy, slick body was pressed against his. He braced himself on the rocky bottom of the pool, feeling the heat acclimating, trying to get into her. As Aqua trembled, about to climax, Terra began to go as quickly as he could, trying to catch up with her momentum. It wasn't difficult.

Aqua quite nearly screamed, arching her back and making such a beautiful expression that Terra's licked the length of her sweaty cheek. It felt like warm fire exploded around him, and his body felt the intense need to put it out before he was burned. The two of them were maybe ten seconds apart and the moment they were both stretched out and shuddering, every hair on their bodies erect, the world around them disappeared, and they were drifting in an endless expanse of brightness.

Aqua, still reeling from the heavy injections of pleasure that had just been pumped through her bloodstream, could only manage a small gasp as she held Terra for dear life. He was more than willing to oblige even though all he wanted to do was lie down with Aqua in his arms, gasping from exhaustion.

"W-where did the world go?" She asked frantically, as it seemed the two of them were floating in an ocean of the white light.

Terra though it over. "The world…was created from our hearts. And…it became clearer every time we acknowledged that we needed each other…so that must mean…" He mulled it over for a few more seconds, and then it came to him. He stared deep into those beautiful eyes of hers, in his favorite color of blue. "It means that…the world is still here. Our world."

Aqua realized it then. She was Terra's world. He was her world. It was still there, but now their hearts were free and open and full of light and love. She smiled and the light illuminated her face.

"_Our_ world." She whispered. "_My _Terra."

**Chapter Six: End**


	7. Complete and Utter Serenity

** Author's Note:** This is the end/epilogue of the story and I hope all of you enjoyed this. I really want Square Enix to reunite Aqua and Terra in the game sometime in the VERY near future. As always, reviews are welcome but really I'm just happy you chose to read this.

**Chapter 7: Complete and Utter Serenity**

It could have days or hours or years that Aqua and Terra were suspended in the light of their own world. The light had started out white, but as they kissed and talked and touched, the light began to flash all different shades of blue.

Currently, Terra held Aqua against him, feeling that he had never felt anything quite like her skin. The 'sky' above of him glowed dark blue, with deep flashes of indigo and even blue-black, while the expanse Terra was floating on was eerily similar to the color of Aqua's eyes. He loved her so…

As if on command, her eyes opened and she smiled at him, kissing his neck. His neck was covered in small bite marks, which she seemed fond of giving after she found out that he enjoyed a healthy dose of pain with his pleasure. Terra was sure he would have several new scars from all his encounters with her…

"Terra…" She sat up, giving Terra a good look at her beautiful torso. "How long have we been here?"

He sat up for a kiss. "Your guess is as good as mine. Why?"

"I think…it might be time to leave soon…"

Terra sighed in pain and Aqua shared his sentiment. She did not want to leave any more than he did. But there was that tug at her heart…As much as she loved him, as much as she wanted to stay here with him forever, she was a Keyblade Master and there were whole worlds out there depending on her strength.

She didn't have to say anything. Terra knew.

"You are so noble. But that's what I love about you. You need to save the worlds."

"I'd like your help." She said layering kisses on his neck and face and arms. "If you're interested."

Terra smiled. He was getting used to smiling now. "And then after? Maybe head home?" He kissed her chest. "With Ven?" He kissed her neck. "Become a Keyblade Master?" He kissed her chin. "Wander the worlds together?" He kissed her softly on the lips.

"That sounds amazing." Aqua replied, ruffling his brown hair. The light around them pulsed with happiness to mirror their own moods.

Terra was not looking forward to putting on his clothes. "I wonder if our Gliders and armor will come if we call them now?"

Aqua smiled. "Only one way to find out…"

….

_Aqua was lying in the Realm of Darkness, listening to the sound of the tide. The sound of the ocean brought back so many memories for her. Happier memories…The beaches of Destiny Islands…the ocean in the World of Blue…the sound that had pulsed with the blue light…She had been in this darkness for so long, that she often felt she was losing her mind, even when she spoke aloud._

_ Her new friend in the black robe noticed as a tear or two rolled down her cheeks, soaking into the dark soil. _

_ Very hesitantly, he patted her head…which only seemed to make things worse. The sound of the tide mixed with gentle human contact, only served to remind her of Terra and their unfinished plans._

_ Instead of wandering the worlds together, she was trapped here, Ven was left without a heart in what was left of their world, and Terra was…gone. Gone…and she had no idea where he was. Trying her best not to keep crying, Aqua curled up on herself as her friend continued to try and comfort her. _

_ "My Terra…" She whispered. "Our world…" As she closed her eyes to block out the darkness, Aqua listened to the sound of the tide. "Our hearts are connected."_

_ Instead of black behind her eyes, her mind was filled with blue. She followed her heart, just as she had always done, following it to where the light was brightest. Her heart pounded, the colors pulsing in time, as she saw him...She saw Terra._

_ He smiled at her, sadly, but still his smile._

_ "Hold on…" He called out to her, displaying the charm she had made for him so long ago. "Hold on Aqua. We'll be together again soon. I swear to you. We'll visit the worlds together, just like we promised."_

_ Aqua opened her eyes to face the Realm of Darkness. "I believe you."_

_ "Are you all right, Miss?" Her companion asked in concern. He really was such a gentleman._

_ Aqua stood, determined and proud, ever the Keyblade Master. She gazed at the dull horizon, a feeling blossoming in her chest. Her love for Terra was giving her strength. "Yes. I have something to fight for, it seems. We'll make it out of here. I'm sure of it."_

_ Even in this world, filled with solemnity and darkness, even here, there were still traces of blue…_

**Story: End**


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